It's fairly well known that the most effective window for evangelism are the teenage years.
But, I feel, for similar reasons, that there are two other windows for efficacious faith-development.
New parents and the elderly.
The reason these three life stages are more fruitful for evangelism have to do with the common threads of self assessment and a realigning of self identification.
As a teen you're establishing and testing your place in society.
As a new parent, everything in your life is reordered with the new arrival.
As you enter your later years, ceasing work or losing your spouse, you have the chance to assesses your values and what you want to do going forward.
Of course, people can come to faith at any age and life stage, but I think these three times are especially fertile to the message of the gospel.
For, Jesus invites us to make assessments about how we live.
The gospel challenges us to consider the things we stand for.
The church invites us to be a part of something larger than ourselves.
These are the things which are already stirring within the hearts and minds of teens, new parents and the elderly.
The continuing challenge to the church is to purposely seek to reach these people and offer them the words of eternal life.
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